365 Days of Dylan, Day 28: Marchin' to the City

365 Days of Dylan, Day 28: Marchin' to the City.

"Well, I'm Sittin' in Church, in an old wooden chair. I know nobody'd look for me there."

Marchin' to the City sounds like Dylan working the Sunday morning crowd at a small country church in the glen near the river. It starts with just his voice and piano, then the band kicks in, organ, drums,  and bluesy guitar.

I can see the congregation begin to sway, holding hands down the pew, eyes closed. Bob's getting them stirred up, ready to march.

As the song fades, you hear Dylan say, "I don't know." I do know Bob. I sounds pretty good to me. Let's march.

Marchin' to the City appears on Tell Tale Signs, The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8. It's an outtake from the Time Out of Mind sessions.

According to Wikipedia, the song evolved into Til I Fell in Love with You, which appears on Time Out of Mind.

I like the raw, musical punch of Marchin' to the City. Maybe that's because it stands more as a song sketch, Dylan working out an idea. I'm a big fan of the work in progress, of watching the creative process.

I've played Tell Tale Signs more than than any other Dylan album, with the possible exception of Blood on the Tracks. It's by far my favorite release from Dylan's Bootleg series.

Though these unreleased tracks from 1989 to 2006 come from dozens of sessions, the way they are curated and organized make for a sustained listening experience through the 28-tracks.

         

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